Families facing huge bills as smart meters go ‘dumb’

HOUSEHOLDS are being hit with shock energy bills as four million smart meters are not working properly.

The number of “dumb” smart meters is up from a previous estimate of 2.7million, following revisions to official statistics released by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) published last week.

Bill payers have complained of feeling “terrified” by the devices after receiving incorrect meter readings putting them thousands of pounds in debt.

Lord Callanan, the minister for energy efficiency and green finance, said he was “deeply concerned” about the figures in a letter to the energy watchdog last Thursday.

He called on Ofgem to enforce legal requirements for suppliers to ensure that smart meters are working properly.

“The scale of some suppliers’ underperformance in optimising their operation metering estate over a period of time shows these steps may not have been taken universally,” he said. “I am deeply concerned about this.”

‘Reporting errors have found more meters not operating in smart mode than previously thought’

Problems with smart meters have affected high-profile consumers. In December, artist Grayson Perry complained of a £39,000 bill he received on a smart meter, and in the same month, broadcaster Jon Sopel revealed his device had handed him a £19,274 bill.

Estimates by the National Audit Office put the number of faulty smart meters in Britain at just under three million last June.

DESNZ has now said that the actual figure in June was 4.31 million. It estimates the current number of faulty smart meters at 3.98 million.

It comes as the Government’s rollout of smart meters balloons over budget and continues to be plagued by problems.

A Government spokesman said: “We are concerned that reporting errors by a minority of suppliers have uncovered more meters not operating in smart mode than previously thought.

“Lord Callanan has today written to Ofgem, urging action to ensure suppliers are held to account if they are not supporting customers with issues.”